There is nothing more tragic and heartbreaking than losing a loved one in a preventable accident.
If your loved one has died as a result of the negligence of someone else, you should not wait to seek help.
While filing a lawsuit may not be the first thing on your mind, it is important that you take legal action to protect your family. You deserve justice for your loved one.
At the Harris Law Firm, PLLC, our experienced Mississippi wrongful death lawyers are here to help your family through the difficult times and work hard to make sure that you receive the financial compensation you deserve.
We know that no amount of money can ever fully compensate a family for the grief suffered by the loss of a loved one. Our goal is to provide you and your family with solace during this trying time. Read on to learn more about wrongful death claims and how a wrongful death attorney in Mississippi can help you.
Key Takeaways
What Mississippi Wrongful Death Claims Involve
Wrongful death cases carry their own legal rules and considerations. Here’s what families should know.
- Only Certain Family Members Can File:
Mississippi law prioritizes the estate’s personal representative, followed by a surviving spouse, then parents or children, then siblings. - Wrongful Death Can Arise From Many Situations:
Car and truck accidents, medical malpractice, workplace incidents, and premises liability can all form the basis of a claim. - Compensation Covers More Than Financial Loss:
Families can pursue economic damages, like lost income and funeral costs, along with noneconomic damages for grief and loss of companionship. - Mississippi Law Sets the Rules:
Wrongful death claims are governed by Mississippi Code Section 11-7-13, which shapes who can file and what can be recovered.
How Can a Mississippi Wrongful Death Lawyer Help Me?
Wrongful death claims represent a complex area of personal injury law. With so much at stake, including justice for the death of your loved one, risking pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit in Mississippi without legal representation could negatively affect the outcome of your case and the compensation you receive. A Mississippi wrongful death lawyer provides assistance in a number of ways and helps you build a strong case.
Investigate
A wrongful death attorney in Mississippi investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of your loved one. If required, your attorney has a team of accident reconstructionists, medical professionals, and other experts at their disposal to help determine the cause of the accident.
Determine Liability
Through their investigation, your attorney works to successfully establish the liability of the responsible party. Since most wrongful death claims require proof of negligence, your attorney will gather evidence to prove each of the four required elements to succeed on your claim.
Negotiate
A wrongful death attorney is skilled at negotiating the best possible outcome for your case. Insurance companies may be quick to make offers of settlement, however, these initial offers rarely reflect the full extent of compensation you may be entitled to receive. An experienced attorney ensures that justice is served and the responsible party pays for the pain they have caused you and your family.
Litigate
In situations where negotiations fall through or fail to progress, your attorney takes your case to trial. Trial preparation is complicated and requires an extensive understanding of procedural rules and litigation tactics to avoid delays and mistakes in your lawsuit.
A Mississippi wrongful death attorney helps in various other ways not listed here. Choosing to file a wrongful death claim without the assistance of an lawyer could break your case and cause you and your family to miss out on well-deserved financial compensation.
We’re Here for Your Family
No One Should Face This Loss Alone
Losing a loved one because of someone else’s negligence is a pain no family should have to carry by themselves. Harris Law Firm is here to handle the legal process with care, so you can focus on your family.
Who Files a Wrongful Death Claim in Mississippi
Mississippi law typically permits a person related to the victim to file a wrongful death claim and provides an order of priority for those who may have a superior right to others. A wrongful death lawsuit may be filed by the following individuals in this order:
- The personal representative of the deceased person’s estate,
- A surviving spouse,
- A surviving parent or child of the decedent,
- A surviving sibling or siblings of the decedent.
In certain cases, it may not always be immediately apparent who can file a wrongful death claim and an lawyer can assist you on who may have priority.
Our Mississippi Wrongful Death Lawyer | W. Noel Harris
W. Noel Harris is the founder of Harris Law Firm, PLLC, and has dedicated more than four decades to representing individuals and families harmed by the negligence of others. Since earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981, he has focused his practice on personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and complex litigation. Licensed to practice in Mississippi and Arkansas, Mr. Harris is recognized for his extensive courtroom experience, multimillion-dollar case results, and membership in numerous respected legal organizations, including the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is committed to providing skilled, compassionate, and results-driven representation for injured clients.
We Handle Wrongful Death Claims in Mississippi
Wrongful death lawsuits are notoriously complex. Unfortunately, deadly accidents can happen in a number of different circumstances. At the Harris Law Firm, PLLC, our compassionate Mississippi wrongful death attorneys have extensive experience handling wrongful death cases in both Mississippi and Arkansas.
We represent clients who have lost a loved one in a wide range of incidents, including:
- Motorcycle accidents;
- Commercial truck accidents;
- Car accidents;
- Premises liability cases;
- Medical malpractice; and
- Slip and fall accidents.
If your loved one was in an accident and passed away, you should not go through the complex legal process all on your own. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to work with a qualified wrongful death attorney in Mississippi.
We can handle the legal aspect of your claim, while you focus on your mental health and supporting your family.
To get help with your case, please do not hesitate to contact our Mississippi wrongful death attorneys today.
Ready to Speak to a Mississippi Wrongful Death Attorney?
If a loved one recently passed away due to wrongful death, you shouldn’t face it alone. We want to hear from you, simply fill out the form below and we will contact you to set up a consultation. We just need some brief information:
Representing Victims in Mississippi Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Money cannot bring back your loved one. But a wrongful death lawsuit may help your family find answers, pursue accountability, and eventually give you some peace of mind.
We empathize with your suffering. Our goal is to offer support and guidance during this very difficult time.
Handling the legal matters involved in a wrongful death claim can be incredibly difficult for your family. Not to mention managing day-to-day responsibilities and finances after the sudden loss of a loved one, especially if they were the family’s primary source of income. A compassionate Mississippi wrongful death attorney can handle the legal process on your behalf, allowing your family to focus on grieving while pursuing the justice and compensation you deserve.
Pursuing Justice for Your Loved One
Your Family Deserves Answers and Accountability
A wrongful death claim can’t undo what happened, but it can hold the responsible party accountable and help ease the financial burden your family now faces. We’re ready to guide you through every step.
Wrongful Death Claims Fall Under State Law in Mississippi
Family members of the victim should know that wrongful death claims are typically brought under state law. While the laws are relatively similar across the different states in our region, there are some key differences.
Ensure that your family is properly protected. Work with a Mississippi wrongful death attorney who has experience handling wrongful death claims.
Mississippi Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Wrongful death cases in Mississippi are generally brought under Mississippi Code section 11-7-13.
You should work with a lawyer who can make sure that you present a strong claim based on the law in Mississippi and the Mississippi wrongful death statute.
Arkansas Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Arkansas Code section 16-62-102 governs wrongful death claims.
After a wrongful death accident in Mississippi, consult with a wrongful death attorney familiar with the law. You need an attorney who has the skills to bring a lawsuit on behalf of your family member.
Recovering Compensation for Your Loved One in Mississippi
At our firm, we devote our entire resources to seek full compensation on your behalf. We want you to focus on your family.
The goal is minimizing the financial impact caused by a fatal accident. As the survivor of your loved one, you may be able to recover damages in a wrongful death claim.
Pursuing damages may feel incomprehensible in the wake of losing a loved one. However, many survivors find that while financial compensation never replaces the hole left by this traumatic experience, it can help them move forward after such devastation. Mississippi law permits those succeeding on a wrongful death claim to recover compensatory damages in the form of economic and noneconomic damages.
Economic damages include direct financial losses related to the loss of your loved one and include the following:
- Loss of the deceased’s income,
- Cost of burial and funeral expenses,
- Loss of the deceased’s benefits including retirement and pensions,
- The cost of any emergency care for the deceased before they died, and
- The cost of domestic services the loved one would have provided if they had not passed.
Proving economic damages is done through tangible evidence including bank statements, invoices, pay stubs, and other similar documentation. Your attorney uses this not only to prove the value of these losses but to calculate the value of your demand.
Noneconomic damages represent the psychological and emotional effects of your loss. These damages include the following:
- Emotional distress;
- Loss of protection, guidance, and care from the deceased;
- Loss of love and society from the deceased; and
- Loss of companionship and consortium of the deceased.
Due to their subjective nature, noneconomic damages cannot be easily calculated or proven with documentary evidence. Without an attorney, succeeding on a claim for noneconomic damages is challenging and may fail. It’s vital to seek the assistance of a qualified Mississippi personal injury attorney to help you through the wrongful death lawsuit process. compensation intends to aid the family of the victim.
Contact Our Mississippi Wrongful Death Attorneys Today
At the Harris Law Firm, PLLC, our dedicated Mississippi wrongful death attorneys have the skills and legal knowledge needed to handle your claim. We know that nothing can ever make up for your loss, but we are ready to help you get justice for your loved one. Our legal team will help your family fight for maximum compensation.
Our office in the heart of Greenville, MS, and we serve communities throughout the region, including in the Mississippi Delta and in southeastern Arkansas. We are happy to meet you at a convenient location. Throughout our 43-years history, The Harris Law Firm has extensive experience trying and settling personal injury cases. Millions of dollars have been recovered through judgments and settlements for clients when they need it most.
Our firm is focused on representing people who have suffered serious injuries due to someone else’s negligence. We provide aggressive and experienced representation on a wide variety of personal injury matters including car accidents, slip and fall, farm accidents, casino accidents, wrongful death, and much more. Contact The Harris Law Firm today by phone or email to get a free case review and learn how we can assist you on your road to recovery.
Common Questions
Mississippi Wrongful Death Claims: Frequently Asked Questions
Families facing a wrongful death claim often have questions about how the process works. Here’s what our Mississippi wrongful death lawyers hear most often.
Mississippi law gives priority to the personal representative of the deceased’s estate, followed by the surviving spouse, then surviving parents or children, and finally surviving siblings. An attorney can help determine who has the legal right to file in your family’s situation.
Families may recover economic damages like lost income, funeral and burial costs, and lost benefits, as well as noneconomic damages for emotional distress and the loss of your loved one’s companionship and guidance. An attorney can help identify every category that applies to your case.
Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, workplace incidents, and premises liability cases like slip-and-falls can all form the basis of a wrongful death claim. Any death caused by another party’s negligence may qualify.
Yes. Wrongful death claims are governed by state law, so a death in Mississippi follows Mississippi Code Section 11-7-13, while a death in Arkansas follows Arkansas Code Section 16-62-102. The states differ in who can file and how damages are calculated, so it matters which state’s law applies to your case.
Common Circumstances Across the State
Where Wrongful Death Claims Commonly Arise in Mississippi
Wrongful death claims can arise anywhere in Mississippi, but certain settings, from busy interstate corridors to workplaces and hospitals, come up again and again. As a Mississippi wrongful death lawyer, Harris Law Firm has helped grieving families pursue justice after fatal accidents, workplace tragedies, and medical negligence across the state. Explore the map or the list below to learn more about these common circumstances.
Interactive map loading… select a location from the list to explore Mississippi.
The circumstances and locations above are illustrative examples of where wrongful death claims commonly arise in Mississippi. They are not a ranking or comparison of any city, county, hospital, or business, and no wrongdoing is implied about any location named here. Every case is different — contact Harris Law Firm to discuss the specifics of your loved one’s situation.
Losing a Loved One Changes Everything
Schedule a free, compassionate consultation with a Mississippi wrongful death lawyer today.